LADY ANN'S FOLLY: Chapter Four - Part Eight

Mavis looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

She looked incredible; just so beautiful; and she was starting to get used to the idea that she was Lady Ann for now.

“I’m really a bootiful lady,” she said, grinning but her face fell a little. She did wish she could talk proper like wot Lady Ann herself could. She had done it better a couple of times. Maybe she just needed practice.

She considered what she was planning and asked herself again if it was a good idea. Things could go horribly wrong and she had been told to stay here by Lady Harriet. But she was Lady Ann right now. She was older than Hattie. That meant Hattie couldn’t tell her what to do.

And the groundwork had been set that she had a headache. All she had to do was keep her mouth shut if things went badly. No one would think anything odd of it.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the bedroom door and walked out, making her way carefully down through the expansive house to the ground floor. She wasn’t sure which was the correct door to the dining room but trying a couple of the wrong ones gave her a feel for the rough layout. The third door was the dining room and all eyes at the table turned her way in surprise. Hattie glared at her in silent fury but there was nothing she could do.

Mavis was wearing a lovely green dress that dropped to the floor and a selection of complementary jewellery. Unlike the former owner of this body, she had always been a woman and had a knack and understanding of womanly things that Burt never could have touched. She wasn’t born a lady but she had eyes and a jealous stare that memorised details.

“Oh, Ann dear,” said the Countess. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I got to thinki—I mean, I... decided... to come down.”

“Well come in and sit then Ann,” said the Earl. “You’re letting a draught in.”

She entered and the maid came and closed the door, curtseying. Mavis liked the look of that very much. She was briefly unsure where to sit but there was only one seat free, next to that toff that Burt always complained about, Lord Hurley... Lady Ann’s fiancé. Her eyes widened at the realisation of that but she was committed now. She had to go through with it.

“I do hope you’re feeling better darling,” said Lord Hurley.

“Er... Aye. Yes. I am. Thank you.”

He gave a curt smile and then ignored her, obviously continuing a discussion that she had interrupted. That suited her fine. She used the quiet moment to get her bearings; look around the table.

There were the Earl and Countess; some other relatives wot was staying here: husband and wife and two bairns; and then there was Hattie, scowling across at her. Mavis gave a curt smile of her own and a nod of her head to say, You can scowl all you might my girl. I ain’t goin nowhere.

“You look a good colour now Ann,” said the female visitor; an aunt presumably.

“Why thank you,” she replied, smiling more from the pleasure of the posh words that had surprised her than actually caring what that old bird thought.

“Has your headache passed now?”

“Pretty much,” said Mavis in broad Yorkshire, then flushed.

“Oh good.”

The servants brought the main course, laying it out carefully on the plates. Mavis was served by a reedy blond girl she’d never seen before; a new girl presumably. It was right grand to be waited on like a queen. She loved it!

“Ere,” she said to the serving girl. “Give us some a that wine.” She pointed but noticed the immediate hush.

“Father did say he was weary of hearing your impression of the yokels Ann dear,” said Hattie pointedly.

“Oh, aye. Yer right. Er... yes.”

She shut her mouth, blushing and did her best to keep it shut for the rest of the meal.

It surely was grand though, sharing time with the toffs and eating at their table. This was exactly the kind of life she’d always dreamed of. She sat there, eating her fill of the delicious roast dinner; the nicest food she’d ever eaten and she realised it was more than that.

She’d been born into her life of tending the bar and selling her sexual favours for spare cash and she’d always known it wasn’t fair – that she should have been born into the manor life. And now she had it. She was Lady Ann! She really chuffing was!

She would be a fool to give this up for any reason – an absolute fool! And she was no fool by gum. She was anything but!

Lady Harriet might have said she was only going to stay this way for a day or two to teach the real Lady Ann a lesson, but she had a mind to forge a different plan. Because she didn’t want to go back. There was nothing back in that life worth a damn except for Burt’s cock and she could buy herself another one of them whenever she wanted now she was one of the landed gentry!

Oh yes. She’s made her mind up.

She was never going back to that life. Lady Ann was welcome to it!

She was going to stay Lady Ann for the rest of her days and she was going to do anything she had to, to ensure that happened.

Anything at all!